


The Mousegrave Ritual

by bibliolatry



Series: Adventures in Mouselock [3]
Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Case Fic, Gen, Mouselock
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-27
Updated: 2014-01-27
Packaged: 2018-01-10 06:04:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1156016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bibliolatry/pseuds/bibliolatry
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sherlock and John take a trip to Musgrave Manor in Sussex to investigate the disappearance of a friend (and his wife) of one Simon Mousegrave.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Mousegrave Ritual

**Author's Note:**

> Unedited and not Brit-picked.

"Ah, John. There you are. Tell me about this ritual once more, Mr. Mousegrave," Sherlock ushered John into the large area of the attic of Musgrave Manor.

Simon Mousegrave twitched his nose a bit before speaking " _To whom did it belong? He who is now gone. To whom shall it go now? He who will come. Where does the sun fall? Around that table in the third hall. Where has the shadow fallen? The foot of the statue that is golden. How does one get there? North by ten and by ten, east by five and by five, south by two and by two, west by one and by one, and so under. What shall we give for it? All that is ours. Why should we give it? For the sake of the trust._ "

"A riddle?" John asks as he turns to Sherlock.

Sherlock shakes his head. "Not a riddle, no. A ritual; but it seems so pointless, so why would Mr. Armistead be so interested in it?"

"It's just an old family ritual, Mr. Holmes. I'm not sure what caught Richard's eye," Simon said, letting out a sigh. "All I know is I caught him red-handed with the parchment that I kept locked in my fathers writing desk. A few days later, both Richard and Elaina were gone. All of their possessions where in the guest room they'd been staying here since they'd arrived, but there wasn't a trace of where'd they'd gone."

Sherlock took a few moments to visit his mind palace. He considered everything he knew about rituals of the area, the history of every mouse he could think of. Finally, it all clicked into place. "They're instructions," he said as he opened his eyes and looked between John and Simon. "Do you still have the parchment?"

Simon nodded and lead Sherlock and John to the corner of the attic that had been sectioned off for his study. He pulled a small key from the pocket of his waistcoat and unlocked the bottom most drawer and pulled out a sheet of parchment that had been rolled tightly and tied with a bit of red thread. He held it out to Sherlock who stared at him for a moment before grasping it quickly in his paws and tugging at the thread in order to unroll it. His eyes scanned over the parchment once, twice, three times; comparing it to the blueprints of Musgrave Manor that he kept in his mind palace. He let out a small gasp as it all fell into place. 

"Come, John," he called out as he took off across the attic floor to the hole that lead down to the floor below.

Sherlock spent fifteen minutes tracing the steps of the instructions, his mind boggling as time after time he was lead to the same bit of wall that revealed nothing. John watched as Sherlock paced back and forth, his frustration palpable. Finally, he took pity on his friend and spoke up.

"Didn't it say something about 'under'?" he asked and Sherlock's eyes lit up.

"Yes!" he exclaimed as he ran back to the portion of wall the instructions led to. He bent down low, his nose brushing the floor as he eyed the seem where floor met wall. " _Yes_!" his enthusiam was intoxicating and John found himself smiling as he watched Sherlock manipulate hidden levers. A portion of the wall shifted back and away, revealing the body of Richard Armistead draped over an empty chest. "Well, that explains what happened to Mr. Armistead. Now, where is Mrs. Armistead."

John went off to get Mr. Mousegrave as Sherlock continued his observation of the small room behind the wall. By the time John had returned with Simon, Sherlock had deduced what had happened. He turned, his usual smirk in place as he prepared to say what he'd learned.

"Mr. Armistead had discovered the ritual in his position as a librarian. Seeing as he already had a close relationship with you, Mr. Mousegrave, he used that to his advantage. He came out to the country under the guise of visint you, but really he wanted to get a chance to look for the parchment. He found it, obviously, and figured out where the hiding spot was. This chest," Sherlock pointed to the chest, Richards body having been moved out of the room, "contained the royal crown of King Charles the first."

Simon gasped, his course brown fur standing on end as he realized what had happened. "Yes, my great-great-great grandfather was a kings man."

Sherlock nodded as though he'd expected as much. "Yes, and he passed away before he was able to explain to his son the importance of the ritual and so the crown was lost. Mr. and Mrs. Armistead found it. I'm currently unsure as to whether Mrs. Armistead intentionally shut her husband into the room or if it was an accident. Either way, there seems to be no way to open the room from the inside and Mr. Armistead suffocated."

"So, where's Elaina?" Mr. Mousegrave asked.

"That," Sherlock stared at Simon with wide, excited eyes. "Is another great mystery."


End file.
